Four Jesuit priests have mild COVID symptoms

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

Four Jesuit priests serving in New Orleans have tested positive for mild symptoms of COVID-19 and are recuperating together in isolation at a Jesuit-owned home in Mississippi, Jesuit Father Gregory S. Waldrop, rector of the Loyola Jesuit community, said Dec. 4.

Ten other Jesuit priests who shared a Thanksgiving meal with the four priests who subsequently tested positive are quarantining in place in New Orleans and will be able to leave quarantine on the morning of Dec. 11, Father Waldrop said.

“We were all together for Thanksgiving and had a beautiful celebration with just the (Jesuit) community,” said Father Waldrop, who is a visiting professor of art at Loyola. “Two of the Jesuits did the cooking. We had no guests. We usually have a cook, but we gave him the day off.”

The next morning, two priests “didn’t feel right when they woke up,” Father Waldrop said, mentioning they had lost a sense of taste and smell.

Their COVID tests came back positive, but “they both are fine and have just very minor symptoms.” A third priest tested positive on Nov. 30. “They’re all reporting they are feeling better each day,” Father Waldrop said.

A fourth priest tested positive on Dec. 4 and was heading to Mississippi.

The 10 other priests are living in their normal quarters at Loyola and at the rectory at Holy Name of Jesus Parish.

“We’re in our regular places and we’re in our rooms,” Father Waldrop said. “We can move around wearing masks. We can’t get together for meals but, unfortunately, we can’t gather for the Eucharist now. People are saying private Masses. Otherwise, everyone is fine. We see each other and we chat, but we are keeping more distance.”

At Holy Name of Jesus, Father Mark Thibodeaux, pastor, has made arrangements with other priests – Dominicans, Jesuits from other parts of New Orleans and diocesan priests – to fill in as celebrants of the regularly scheduled parish Masses.

“We’ve been able to cover all of our pastoral commitments,” Father Waldrop said. “A few of us have had to call parishes where we do supply work to tell them we wouldn’t be able to come.”

All priests of the community should be able to leave quarantine on Dec. 11.

Father Waldrop said the classes he has been teaching this semester have been on Zoom, so the self-quarantine has not been a large imposition. All of Loyola’s classes after Thanksgiving have been online.

[email protected]